Love's Enigma
by FB and GI
Summary: From the minds of Fresh Blood and Given Inside comes a tale of love and rivalry mixed into the romantic comedy that those who read their work would expect to find. Follow Saphira through her somewhat chaotic journey to search for the true meaning of Love.
1. Edoc'sil

_Say it. _

_Say what? _Eragon asked. The sapphire dragoness looked down at her rider and glared.

_You know what. I was right. Say it. _He turned away to stare at the vast blackened soil where his former village used to remain. Burnt pieces of lumber lay in crumpled masses where huts and markets used to stand and all vegatation around it was completely decimated. Roran, who was to the left of Eragon, placed his hands on his hips and shook his head; he could tell it was going to be a long day of work.

_I'm waiting, Rider. _Eragon groaned and muttered a swear.

"Alright," he spoke aloud. "The task seemed easier to say, and not to do."

_Well, _Saphira replied smartly, _I was expecting an apology for doubting me, considering I used to hunt around here numerous times. I suppose that your remark is close enough. _She chuckled amongst herself and slid down to her paws so Roran and Eragon could remove the pack of tools from her saddle.

_Why must you torment me? _Eragon asked, untying the few knots that held the pack against the saddle.

_Because I love you, _she replied smugly. _Now hurry and get all these things off of me. I think the straps are starting to wear on my scales. _

_And you say I whine? _

_All the time, _she shot back wittily. _I'm surprised you didn't when it came to starting work in Carvahall._

_I was raised here, _Eragon argued. He loosened the strap that held the saddle on Saphira's back and pushed it off of her and onto the ground to her right. Saphira stood up on all fours and stretched her back in a sign of relief.

_Ah, but when it comes to the time to clean our home in Ellesmera, you whine more than any youngling this side of Alageasia. _Roran, sensing his cousin was involved in another conversation, decided to step away and begin clearing the way for the other helpers who were due to arrive shortly. Eragon was on his own in this debate, but neither he nor Saphira was willing to back away.

_Well if you didn't leave your scales lying around on the floor, it wouldn't be so terrible._

_My scales are not the problem, _she replied calmly. _It is the reeking stench of the clothing you wore two weeks ago that are still lying in a pile almost directly below my nose. I'm surprised that those tunics you've worn haven't gotten up to walk down to the lake themselves._ She chuckled at her comment and let out a sigh. _Shall we just call a truce for the rest of the day? _

_Yes, but we both know it won't last past the evening. _Eragon crouched down and removed a hammer from the pack of tools. _So, are you going to help us?_

_How? I've seen your accuracy with a hammer and I refuse to hold a nail for you. Now Roran, he uses hammers as a weapon. I'd figure accuracy is a bit better on his side of the field. _

_Traitor, _Eragon joked.

_You may say so, but I rely on reason, not relation. _She gazed at Eragon and showed her teeth. _What else could there be for a dragon to do, anyways? Besides, more workers are supposed to arrive in just a few moments. I know I don't say this much, but wouldn't I just slow progress? _Eragon couldn't help but smile.  
"Very well, Saphira," he told her out loud. "You can do what you'd like, but tell me before you leave this place."

_Of course. _With that said, Saphira padded away to wander on her own.

"Eragon!" Roran called out from a few meters away. "The wood's here. We can get started on the frames of the houses and the other workers can help us lift them up when they arrive." A horse-drawn carriage rolled up beside Roran, and the operator dismounted his seat and clasped his right hand into his.

"Just as you ordered, Roran," the man said. "Our woodsman gathered for a long time to get all of this. We cut the lengths you requested too. Where are you going to begin?"

"Right here, sir," Roran replied. "These are the frames. The Shadeslayer and I will attach the frames and the other workers will aid us to lift them up and fill them in." Eragon finally made it to Roran's side and reached out to take the deliverer's hand for a shake.

"You two have plenty work to do, I see," he gathered from the look of the charred and broken village. "There is a caravan of people making their way up the Eastern trail and towards you, but it will take them longer than it took me. Horse is faster than foot."

_And dragon is faster than horse, _Saphira couldn't help but comment to Eragon. The young rider turned around to see Saphira already standing beside the carriage. _Well, this thing will not unload itself, will it? _

"Be careful with that, Saphira," Roran cried out when he noticed her bring her foreclaws up to set them behind the wooden planks. With one push behind her, all the wooden beams slid out of the back of the carriage and clanked against each other after impacting with the hard packed dirt. Saphira held up one claw and turned to look over to Eragon and his cousin.

_Simple as flight, _she said amusingly. _Now, you can say I helped. I'm going to see what I can find to eat further into the mountains. Care for anything? _She broadcasted her question out to Roran and Eragon so they both could answer.

"I don't eat meat, remember?" Eragon explained. Saphira cocked her head and flicked her barbed tongue out.

_Well then, I suppose a blade of grass will do you well? What about you, Roran?_

"Katrina is supposed to fix supper later in the afternoon. I think I will be fine."

_At least I offered, _she replied smartly. _I'm off to hunt. _

_Be careful, _Eragon advised. Saphira let out a raspy chuckle and turned her back to them.

_Speak for yourself, little one. I am not the one holding a nail or hitting it with a hammer. _The young rider shrugged his shoulders towards Roran while Saphira flapped her wings and leapt into the air to disappear, blocked from sight by the millions of tall trees lining the hillsides. Roran grabbed his hammer and twirled it with his right hand.

"What is the matter with her?" Roran suddenly asked. "Why is she being so...kindly towards both of us?" Eragon took another look back where Saphira took off and shrugged yet again.

"To be honest, that was the first time she asked me, too. On most occasions, she tells me she is going to go hunting and just flies away. Maybe the fact of our freedom has finally connected with her?"

"Or maybe she's trying to get something out of you," Roran suggested.

"Like?"

"Oh come on, cousin! You of all people should know women act kindly to get something in return. Saphira is a woman..."

"...female," Eragon corrected. "There's a difference." He headed over to one of the wooden beams and slid it into position perpendicular to the end of another piece. "Maybe she just is in a good mood? After all, she was raised around here as well. It is possible that she is just as willing to help rebuild the village as we are."

"Speaking of rebuild," Roran said with a snicker. "Any chance of building a family, Eragon?" The rider looked up at his cousin and shook his head.

"There is no way possible," Eragon commented, placing a nail at the corner end of the connected pieces of wood. "I have made up my mind that the Great Shadeslayer will be the only one as well." Roran looked hurt by his remark and suddenly took to his knee beside him.

"Eragon, love finds even the most unlovable person at times. But if you give up, it has no choice but to move on to someone else."

"Then they can have it," Eragon replied with a laugh. "All love brings is heartache and a lot of mead."

"Or, in my case, it brings a family."

"Just you and Katrina, right?" Roran smiled and shook his head.

"Add one more."

"You mean?"

"In my eyes, you will be an uncle." Eragon leapt from his position and wrapped his arms around Roran's neck, almost taking him to the ground. "Easy Rider!"

"Congratulations, cousin...I mean brother! I'm going to be an uncle!"

"Yes, but it only means that the torch will be passed onto you. You have to make me an uncle as well, it's part of our trade." Eragon crossed his arms.

"I will tell you this, there is no way in or under any circumstances that I'd become a parent. Look at me!"

"Well, looks do matter, I suppose," Roran shot out with a chuckle.

"That is not my point, Roran. I am a dragon rider. My duties will always remain with the country. How could I possibly take the time to raise a family of my own?" Roran thought for a second and then set the tip of his hammer into position for Eragon to set the nail.

"Sometimes you must learn to move with the unexpected, Eragon. I never expected to fall in love with Katrina, but look at me now...look at us! Planning for love is..."

"Who said anything about planning, Roran? I am not planning, I'm not dreaming, and I am not loving. That is the end of the discussion." Eragon blew his seriousness away when he ended the sentence in laughter. Roran chuckled to himself and drove in the nail Eragon was holding, linking the two pieces of wood together.

"Do you ever think about Saphira?"

"Hmm?" Eragon asked.

"You heard me, Rider. Do you ever wonder what might become of her? Thorn and Shruikan are still alive, but that green egg hasn't even twitched. She must feel pressured beyond any belief." Eragon sighed and reached out to grab another wooden beam.

"I bet she does, Roran. I choose not to love anyone, but she...she has no choice in the matter. It is either she chooses one, or she lets her race die."

"Knowing her opinions on both of those dragons, I suppose we should take a good look at what we still can see, eh?" Eragon shook his head and ignored the question completely, grabbing another nail for Roran to force into the wood.

"I hope not," was all he was able to reply.

- - - - - - - - -

Saphira managed to catch a fully-grown buck off guard by a nearby meadow after several moments of searching. After devouring the creature, Saphira took towards the stream at the meadow's end to assist her in cleaning off the blood from the hapless animal.

_Why must the things that taste so good be so messy? _Saphira thought to herself, dipping her blood soaked talons into the water and watching the thick saucy crimson glide off of her sharp claws and disapate into the stream further downriver. She took her head and dove in with it, cleaning her teeth, scales, and horns, as well as providing her with a refreshing drink. The sapphire dragoness took another hearty sip and cocked her head backwards, gurgling some of the water as a method to clean the ripped meat from in between her teeth. After a few moments, she opened her mouth and let the blood red water pour from her maw.

_Much better, _she said to herself, completely satisfied and full. She turned her back towards the stream to start walking away, but something very familiar caught her eye atop the hillside. It was a large tower built with black stones and decorated poorly by overgrown moss. Her eyesight was keen enough to see the crumbling blocks nearest to the top of the strange building. Once she gathered her thoughts, she came to a conclusion.

_Edoc'sil_


	2. Ancient Words

Chapter 2: Ancient Words

Saphira took to the sky and flew towards the dark tower. She took a few passes around it to make sure it was safe to land and the touched down right on the top of the large structure. Rubble began to clang and clatter down the side of the building from Saphira's weight, but it held strong. Still, the sound of the rocks cracking under her gave the mighty dragon a cold chill.

_Strange, _Saphira thought, still poised to take off once more if it crumbled underneath her. There was a large trapdoor just to the right of her, but the wood was warped and tattered, leaving Saphira to wonder if it would even open. Still, she pressed on and used her longest claw to hook the loop of the chain that lifted the enormous door open. With very little effort, she hoisted the door up, recoiling back as a cloud of dust attacked her from inside. Her movements caused the building to shake even more, creaking dangerously with every step the dragoness made.

_This is not safe,_ Saphira muttered to herself, taking a glance down the dark stairway that took the place of the lifted door. _But still, I__'__ve always been curious about this place. What harm is it in a quick look around? _With that decided, Saphira crept down the whining wooden staircase, winding her body around with the spiral the steps formed. Cobwebs lined the ceiling and walls, enormous eight legged insects resting on top of them. _I hate spiders, _Saphira continued to think to herself. _Any more than four legs should just be a waste of breath. _She pressed on until she finally reached the end of the stairwell. A rusty steel double door stood in her way with a large plank of wood in between the opening. She was surprised that she was able to fit around in the tower; she wasn't going to let it all go to waste and turn back.

Saphira used her forearm to slide the heavy plank out of place, and, once she did, the doors flung open, sending a wall of dust into Saphira's face. She couldn't react in time and breathed it it, causing her to sneeze. The massive explosion of sound from her muzzle sent the tower into a shaking fit. Rocks began falling around her from up above, but they were too small to be seen as a concern to her. The dragoness shook the dust from her head and padded into the room.

_No one__'__s been here for centuries, _Saphira inferred. The room was laden with dirt and cobwebs, but its appearance was still spectacular. It was a circular room with a large table that made an outer arc in the far part of it, but there were no chairs in any direction. She sniffed past the dust and caught a familiar yet ancient scent. _Dragons. _She inched forward, taking her eye to every little detail until she came to the curved desk at the end of the room. She praised her keen night vision for keeping her from tripping on some random pieces of debris strewed about on her journey over towards it. _Well what do we have here? _Saphira took her nose down on the desk and discovered multiple scrolls, many of which were already unravelled and ready to be read. _Oh, I wish Eragon was here. He__'__d love this! _She snorted to blow the dust away from an open scroll and sunk to her paws in front of it. Glaedr had taught her how to read and decipher the ancient language, but she had less knowledge than Eragon did. Still, she attempted to read the first scroll.

"Dragon Council Meeting, 204"

Saphira cocked her head as she read it, trying hard not to lose her concentration amidst the crumbling tower. She pressed on.

"The Rider has been seen numerous times with a dragon that was not bonded to him. Hearsay from other Riders claim that Eragon is..."

Saphira stopped and widened her eyes at the rest of the written statement. _Impossible! _She thought. _Eragon? The first Rider? Oh dear, if Oromis found this...wait. _She read further.

"Aura, the dragon in question, refuses to deny the affairs she took part in with Eragon, leaving the Riders no choice but to call this council to determine a punishment."

The writing on the scroll ended, leaving Saphira hunched over in shock. She just read that a rider of old, one of the most well known, had courted with a female dragon. Saphira couldn't believe it. Still, she needed to know more. Another scroll was opened up right next to the one she just read.

"Dragon Council meeting 206"

"Neither dragon nor Rider will deny the actions they have partaken together, aside from the ritual of mating, which they claim has yet to happen. Regardless, Elves and Dragons cannot co-exist. This Rider must be punished."

Saphira let out a snort and shook her head. _What? _She growled. _So, they loved each other, and the Elves broke it up. Its no different than Eragon and I..._she trailed off. _Oh dear me. _A final scroll was opened, but this one was on the floor and it was with the letters facing down. Fearing that the paper would crumble into pieces with one touch, Saphira used the tip of her claw to gently flip it over. When she did, her focus on the scroll shifted to a black journal that was hidden underneath it. It was large with decaying leather for the cover. The pages were too thin for her to turn, so she tenderly slid the book over to her side and moved on to the final open scroll.

"To whom this may concern:

I, overseer of the Dragon Convention regret to inform you that your son, Eragon, had committed a crime of lust and immorality against the Riders and the Dragons they work alongside. As punishment, the Dragons ordered that he remain forever more a dragon, being stripped of all Elvin and Rider power and virtues. Your child seemed far too happy with his sentencing, but the Riders believe 'he will regret it in time.'"

Saphira gasped, eyes wide in shock.

_How? _She asked herself. _The secret to keep my race alive has been here for almost a century! _She lifted her eyes away from the scroll and let a tear of joy fall. _Maybe its not hopeless for me. _She shook her head and took a glance back at the final scroll. _I have to know how they did this._

"The dragoness whom his affairs started with was forced to make the transformation, and, after she had finished, the two left the courts and vanished as if they were banned from the entire country. I do not know if they will return to your dwelling, but if they do, please send them my blessing. Despite what the Riders mentioned, I see nothing wrong in true love.

Oromis."

Saphira couldn't keep her mouth shut. Her own mentor signed the scroll, meaning that he kept this secret from her as well. How did the transformation happen? What had to have been done? Saphira snorted and gently bit down on the journal beside her to carry it out.

_I__'__ll get the other scrolls tonight,_ she told herself on the way out. _This is wonderful news...but I don__'__t love a human. _She fluttered her wings in thought. _Yet. _


End file.
